Device for supporting chinaware or the like during the process of manufacture



May 26, 1925.

DEVI GE 1,539,808 LsoP 17. AL FOR SUPPORTING CHINAWARE on THE LIKEDURING THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE Original Filed Jan. 23, 1920 FIG I. r

INVENTOR: Thomas flllsop,

BY a; 2 i

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1925 UNITED "SI'ATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ALLSOP, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHILA- DELPHIA DRYING MACHINERY COMPANY,OF GERMAN TOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING CHINAWARE OR THE LIKE DURING THE PROCESS OFMANUFACTURE Application filed January 23, 1920, Serial No. 353,437.Renewed April 8, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ALLsoP, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Supporting Chinaware or the like During the Process ofManufacture, whereof the following is a specification, reference be 1ing had to the accompanying drawings.

' The invention relates to trays for supporting articles such as china,porcelain, pottery, etc., during certain stages of their manufacture,more especially during drying after the application of the glazingsolution,at which time it is essential that they be supported inpositions of best advantage for the draining of any excess coating. Because of differences of form, different articles dry best in differentpositions: for example, large plates or other similar comparativelyshallow articles dry more readily when in a vertical position, While thedrying of cups,

saucers, bowls and so forth is expedited when they are laid fiat.

the various requirements above noted, I have devised a tray which iscapable of inversion upon suitable supports, and, when turned to oneposition, capable of sustaining its charges flat or horizontally, andwhen in the other, of sustaining them vertically.

The invention is also directed to devices for positively maintaining thetray against displacement upon its supports when in either 'of itspositions.

The invention is further directed to means for keeping the tray in placeor pivoting it during turning, for guiding itto seat properly on itssupports, and for facilitating engagement of the means for preventingdis placement of the tray, and which are further functional as guides infacilitating the interengagement of the devices above noted, afterreversal.

The invention is also in part directed to a grilled tray of such form asto permit the ready flow of the drying medium therethrough, and which,upon removal from its supports, may be easily cleansed of any adheringdried particles of the glazing solution.

The invention further comprehends certain novel details of constructionand ar In order to meet rangement which will be better understood fromthe detailed description which follows.

I11 the drawings, Fig. plan view, showing a pair of conveyor sprocketchains between which is suspended a tray structure convenientlyembodying my invention.

Fig. II, is an elevation of one end of the tray, showing to betteradvantage the mans ner of its suspension from the adjacent conveyorchain.

Fig. III, shows a cross section of the structure, taken as indicated bythe line III-III in Figs. I and II; and

Fig.'IV, is a sectional elevation of the tray, taken as indicated by theline IV-IV, in Fig. I. v

The organization herein represented comprises a pair of conveyor chains1, 1, having interposed in them at intervals, co-ordinated special links2, 2, which serve as convenient means of support for the suspension oftrays of my improved construction, one of such trays being indicated bythe numeral 3, in the drawings. These trays are hung from the chains 1,1, by means of brackets 5, 5, between which they are spanned and bywhich they are carried. These supporting brackets 5, 5- are freelyfulcrumed at their tops about integral, inwardly projecting pivot lugs6, 6 on the special chain links 2, 2, and are retained on= said lugs bywashers 7, 7 and cotter. pins 8, 8. The brackets 5, 5, are provided withtray supporting means in the form of ledges 9, 9, which are piercedadjacent their ends with apertures 10, 10, preferably of quadrangularoutline. These apertures are adapted for co-operation with either one orthe other of two pairs of correspondingly shaped studs 11, projectingfrom the upper and lower faces of U shaped or channel fittings 12, 12that embrace the side edges of the tray in the manner clearly shown inFig. II. As will be seen from Fig. I, the fittings 12, 12, arecentrallylocated along the sides of the tray and are secured by bolts 13, 13. Bythis arrangement of correlative engagement means (such as 9 andll) ontray and supports, the tray is positively held against substantialmovement or displacement upon the mounting brackets or supports 5 ineither of its positions through the instrunientality of the I, is afragmentary to the suspension brackets, the fittings 12, 12,

are formed with integral trunnions 15, 15, which project into verticalslots 16, 16, in the brackets. Thus it will be seen that as the tray isturned from one position to another, the trunnions 15, 15, cooperatewith the up and down guides at 16, 16 to keep the tray in place, andserve as fulcrum pivots,. and, by preserving the alignment of the trayafter reversal, facilitate the proper seating of the tray on thesupports 5 and the engagement of the studs 11, 11, with the co-operatingapertures 10, 10, in the support ing ledges 9, 9. If desired, however,the tray ma be bodily removed-for cleaning by tilting the same to asuflicient angle to clear the chains and their appendages.

The tray 3 itself is a grilled structure comprising a series of spacedbars 20 united by marginal strips" 21, 21 extending across the barsabove and beneath,wi th interstices between the strips 21, 21corresponding to the s 'acing of the bars 20. At one side (as siiown,the lower) of the tray, the bars 20, 20 are all preferablysupplementedor provided with cleats 22, of a triangular cross section,the ridges thus formed being capable of sustaining, with minimum contactarea, articles laid fiat or in horizontal posi-' tion. Upon its other(upper) side, the tray bars are provided or supplemented with a lessernumber of similar cleats, -in the present instance, only two,symmetrically arranged as shown. By a series of upstanding spacin pins25 in each, the cleats 23 are enabled to support shallower articles,such as plates, saucers, etc., in vertical ,ositions as illustrated inFig. 11. The grllled 1 construction of the tr y (with the intersticedformation. of its si e edges) permits the ready circulation of thedrying medium when the tray is employed, for example, in pottery orchina dryers, and thereby facilitatesthe ready diffusion of the dryingmedium about the supported charges, as a result of which, more uniformdrying'is accomplished. To facilitate circulation, the

fittings 12, 12, are so proportioned that, when attached to the tray,they afiord passages 17 for the air across the ends of the bars 20 ig.II) that communicate with the interstices'between the bars. Furthermore,the'characteristic open construction of the tray facilitates drainage ofany excess glazing solution previously applied to the supported charges,and also cleaning of the tra s after removal from the conveyor.

lthou h I have shown the tray or shelf 3 as emp oyed in a chain type ofconveyor,- "it will be readily understood from the foredurin 5. 5comprising a pair of vertically slotted going description that the samemay, with similar advantages, be used in conveyor trucks such as areordinarily employed in connection with tunnel dr 'ers.

Having thus describe my invention, I claim:

1. A structure of the character described, comprising a air of mountinbrackets with supporting le ges; a reversib e tray spanned between thebrackets and supported by said ledges; and means for preventingdisplacement of the tray when turned to either of its positions.

2. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair ofsupports; a reversible tray spanned between and-carried by saidsupports; and correlative engagement means on tray and supports forpreventing displacement of the tray when in either of its positions.

3. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair of mountingbrackets with apertured ledges; a reversible tray spanned between thebrackets and supported by said ledges and projections on both faces ofthe tray a apted to engage with the apertures in the supporting ledgesof the mounting 4. A structure of the character described,

comprisin a pair of supports, with up and down gui es; .a reversibletray spanned between and carried by said supports; and means at the endsof said tray co-operating with said guides to keep the tray 1n placereversal. v structure of the character described,

mounting brackets with supporting ledges; a reversible tray s annedbetween said brackets adapted to re supported" by said ledges in eitherof its positions; and trunnions projecting from the ends of the trayengaged in the slots of the brackets.

6. A structure of the character described, comprisin a pair of supports,with up and down gui es; a reversible tray spanned between and carriedby said supports; correlative engagement means on tray' and supports forpreventing displacement of t tray when in either of its positions; andmeans at the ends of said tray co-operating with said guides to keep thetray in place during reversal, and to facilitate interengagement of thecorrelative engagement means aforesaid after reversal.

7. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair .ofvertically slotted mountin a reversible tray adapted to be supported bysaid brackets in either of its positions; fittings embracing the edgesof the tray having on their upper and lower faces studs for co-operatingwith corresponding apertures in the bracket ledges to prevent distiallyas described and'for the placement of the tray when in either of itspositions, said fittings also having trunnions for engagement in thebracket slots.

8. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair of spacedconveyor chains: co-ordinated mounting brackets pivotallv suspended fromsaid chains; reversible trays supported by said brackets; and means forpreventing displacement of the trays when turned to either of theirpositions upon said brackets.

9. A grilled tray comprising a plurality of spaced bars secured togetherwith interstices between them at their ends, and channel fittingsembracing the ends of said bars aitording across them passagescommunicating with said interstices.

10. A grilled tray comprising a number of spaced bars supplemented attop and bottom. with cleats of triangular cross section; and spacingpins projecting from certain cleats upon one face of the tray,substanpurpose set forth.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a reversible trayadapted to support the articles to be dried in either of its positions.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a reversible trayadapted to support the articles to be dried in either of its positions,said tray being provided with means for supporting said articles onedge.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a reversible, aperturedtray adapted to support the articles to be dried in either of itspositions, said tray being provided vwith means for supporting saidarticles on e ge.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, a reversible tray forsupporting'the articles to be d ied, said tray being provided beingprovided with means for supporting the articles on edge.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, an apertured reversibletray for supporting the articles to be dried, said't-ray being providedwith pins for supporting the articles on edge.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a tray for supportingthe articles to be dried, said tray being provided with slots V-shapedin their upper part.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, a tray for supportingarticles to be dried, said tray being provided with slots V-shaped intheir upper part, and rectangular in their lower part.

20. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair ofsupports, and a reversible tray, adapted to support the articles to bedried in either of its positions, spanned between and carried by saidsupports.

21. A structure of the character described, comprising a pair ofsupports, and a reversible tray pivotally and slidably attached to saidsupports.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this 20th day of January, 1920.

THOMAS ALLSOP. Witnesses: JAMES H. BELL,

E. L. FULLERTON.

